Kosovo's Minister for Labour, Family and the Values of the Liberation War, Andin Hoti, held a meeting with representatives of the Construction Association in Kosovo to discuss concerns regarding safety and health at work in the construction sector, as reported by KosovaPress.

The head of the Construction Association, Valon Vataj, said that the meeting discussed current issues and that several requests were presented regarding occupational health and safety.

“The current problems regarding safety and health at work were discussed. We came with several requests regarding safety and health at work, including the distribution of responsibilities, taking into account European Union practices, which include the employer, the worker, and the institution. We offered cooperation to the minister and the ministry, and as an association we will be a bridge between institutions and the construction sector,” Vataj said.

Vataj added that workers must also be part of responsibility regarding safety, and according to him, if these responsibilities are not implemented, it becomes a problem.

“However, in terms of implementation, workers will also have responsibilities, of course, those who are part of the work; if these are not implemented, then it becomes a serious problem. At the same time, another concern for us as an association is certification and training for workplace safety, which recently is being seen as a formality,” he added.

The head of the association announced that they will soon launch an awareness campaign on construction, construction companies, and workplace safety.

Meanwhile, Kastriot Jashari, acting director of the Central Labour Inspectorate, said the meeting was held in a constructive spirit and that they agreed to continue their partnership.

“The entire meeting was in a fully constructive spirit; of course, they expressed willingness to cooperate with us, each in their own role… Our partnership is unquestionable, and both from their side and ours, we are each in our role, and we will continue to cooperate in terms of our contribution to safety overall,” Jashari said.

Last week, the Central Labour Inspectorate launched an operation in construction sites, which will last 15 days and will be carried out across seven regions.